Block-signal for railways



(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Shefi 1. W. G. ROOME.

V BLOCK SIGNAL FOR RAILWAYS. No. 541,949.

Patented July 2, 1895.

,IIILI 1mm MM (N o Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. G. ROOME. BLOCK SIGNALFOR RAILWAYS- Patented July 2, 1895.

Heme Sraras PAT NT @irrrej.

IVILLIAM G. RQ O ME, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

BLOCK-SIGNAL FOR RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 541,949, dated July 2,1895. Afnlioation filed April 28, 1892- Serial No. 430,974. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

'Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. ROOME, of Jersey City, Hudson county,and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Block-Signals and other Protecting Devices for Railways,of which the following is a specification.

I will describe my improvement in detail and then point out the novelfeatures in the claims. 7

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a diagrammatic view of aportion of a railway and appurtenances embodying my improvement. Fig. 2is a diagrammatic view of a single-track railway having two systems ofsignal devices for protecting the track in different directions, andshowing a modification.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in both thefigures.

Referring first to Fig. l, A designates a railway track of ordinary orany suitable construction. It may be regarded as one of the tracks of adouble track railroad.

B designates an arbitrary representation of a dynamo electric machine.The machine I use may be of any desired type. This dynamo s intended tosupply current for certain signaling devices employed in thesystem.

The track A comprises a number'of sections a, a a The section a, may beregarded as a section extending from a depot or station. The railscomprised in each section are intended to be made continuouselectrically. This may be done by means of fish plates, chairs or otherdevices made of metal and electrically connecting the ends of abuttingpieces of rail. -A simple way of connecting adjacent rails in a tracksection is to fasten a wire to their ends. The rails comprised in eachtrack section, are, in this example of my invention electricallyindependent of those comprised in every other track section.'Jlheirelectrical independence may be secured by employing chairs, orfish plates of insulating material, such as wood, between the railscomprised in one track section, and those comprised in each adjacenttrack section.

In my improvement I use what may be regarded as a main circuitcomprising all the signals and also protecting devices, if such be used,and I also use a track circuit or circuits.

sented as connecting with a ground plate G.

C designates another wire extending from the other pole or electrode ofthe machine. This wire extends to a point where the main circuitbranches, one branch extending to one terminal or contact point of aresistance device E, and the other branch 0 extending to one end of thecoil of an electro-magnet s belonging to a signal S. The electro-magnets will preferably be of the solenoid type, so as to be capable ofproducing a long range of movement. The signal S is represented asconsisting of a lever fulcrumed between its ends on a pin t. One end isprovided with a signal board or other signal contrivance, and the otherend is connected to the armature of the magnet. The magnet representedbeing of the solenoid type, its armature is consequently made in theform of a movable core. A weight to is combined with the magnet armatureand signal lever for moving the latterin the opposite direction to thatin which it will be moved by the magnet. It isintended that the magnetshall normally influence the signal and hence set it and maintain it atthe position indicative of safety, and that whenever the magnet isde-energized, the weight shall set the signal to the position indicativeof danger. When the signal lever is tilted out of the horizontalposition, it indicates safety and to indicate danger it is adjusted to ahorizontal position; From the other end of the coil of theelectro-magnet s, a wire C extends to a circuit changer H, here shown asconsisting of a lever fulcruined at one end to a pin it, and having atthe other end acontact piece which is adapted to c0-act with the contactpiece 1'. A magnet l is employed for maintaining the lever H in contactwith the contact piece 1 and a spring J is employed to adjust the leverH, so as to withdraw it from the contact piece t" whenever the magnet Iis de-energized.

It may be remarked in passing that the magnet l is not in the maincircuit, but in a safety.

track circuit. From the contact piece 't" a wire extends to one endof.the coil of an electro-magnet s belonging to a signal S The signal Sand the electro-magnet may be exactly like the corresponding parts ofthe signal S already described and similarly combined with a weight. Theother end of the coiloi' the electro-magnet s is connected to a wire 0'which is united with a wire C extending from the resistance device E.From the wires 0 G a wire C" extends.

Before proceedingfurther, I may remark that the signal S is to be acautionary signal andthe signal S a danger signal. Owing to this it isdesirable that the signal boards or devices of these two signals shouldbe distinctive either in shape or color, or both. I have indicated adiiference of shape Y and Would add that ordinarily to conform toexisting practices the board or device of the cautionary signal S wouldbe green and that of the danger signal S red.

The signal S would be located adjacent to the first section a of thetrack A at a considerable distance from the second section a of saidtrack. The signal S Will preferably be located at about the junction ofthe two sections a, a

In order that the function of the circuit changer H may be readilyunderstood, I will remark here that the magnet I has the two ends of itscoils connected by wires with .the rails comprised in the track section(1/ the opposite ends of the rails of the track section a beingconnected to the poles of a track battery L.

Obviously, while there is no train, car or locomotive on the tracksection a the magnet 1 will be energized and the circuit changer II willbe caused to impinge upon the contact piece t" thus continuing thesignal circuit. As the electro-inagnet s,s of the signals S, S will beenergized, thesesignals will be maintained at the positions indicativeof This will be the normal condition of the signals and reference to thedrawings will show that this is the condition in which they areillustrated, there being no train, car, or locomotive represented aslocated upon the track section a I may add as afurthcr explanation ofthe conditions in which the track sections ct, a and their appurtenancesare illustrated that the engineer of a train passing over the tracksection a will beinformcd first by the cautionary signal S long beforehis train reaches the second track section, a and later by the dangersignal S at the time his train arrives at the second track section athat there is no train on thesecond track section a and consequentlythat he may proceed in safety.

The resistance piece E in that branch of the main circuit comprising thewires C C is employed to make this circuit branch approximatelycorrespond in resistance with the other branch of the main circuitconsisting of the wires 0, C C, 0 and comprising the coilsof the magnetss, s belonging to the signals S, S and the circuit changer II.

From the wire 0 the wire C extends to one terminal or contact point of aresistance device E which may be similar to the resistsecond tracksection a whether any train, car,

or locomotive is located upon the third track section a This signal maybe, like the signal S, fulcrumed in the same manner to a pin i andcombined with an electro-magnet s and a weight if, like thecorresponding appurtenances of the signal S. From the other end of thecoil of the electro-magnet s of the signal S a wire C extends to acircuit changer H This circuit changer consists of a lever correspondingwith that forming the circuit changer H, similarly fulcrumed at one endto a pin h and is adapted at the other end to coact with a contact piece11 This lever is combined with a spring J and an electro-magnet 1 Themagnet I has its coils connected with the rails comprised in the tracksection a From the contact piece a? a wire O extends to one end of thecoil of an electro-magnet s belonging to a signal S. From the other endof the coil-of the magnet s a wire 0 extends. The Wire C joins the wireC and from these two wires the main circuit is continued by a wire 0 Thesignal S is intended to be a danger signal like the danger signal S andcapable of indicating to the engineer of a train, car, or locomotivereaching the end of the second track section a whether any train, car,or locomotive is located upon the third track section a to a pin 75 andcombined with a weight 204. Normally the magnet I will hold the circuitchanger lever H. against the contact piece 2' but whenever a train, car,or locomotive is located upon the track section a it will form a shortcircuit between the parallel rails of this track section and sode-cnergize the magnet 1 whereupon the spring J will move the circuitchanger H away from the contact piece 1' andde-energize the magnet s ofthe cautionary signal S and the magnet s of the danger signal-S This isthe condition of thingsillustrated in connection with the third tracksection a and the signals appertaining thereto, T being an arbitraryrepresentation of a train, car, or locomotive. Theengineer of a train,car, or locomotive passing while this condition of things exists alongthe second track section a will be informed by the cantionary signal Sthat a train, car, or locomotive is located upon thethird track sectiona and will thus receive such information before arriving at thebeginning of the third track This signal S is fulcrn med section a whenit will be seen that he will again receive this information from thedanger signal S on arriving at the beginning of the third track sectiona Obviously the electrical resistance of that branch of the main circuitconsisting of the wires 0 0 including theresistance device E should bemade, by properly proportioning the resistance device E or by any othermeans, to approximately correspond with the other branch of the maincircuit consisting of the wires C C 0 C and including the coils of themagnets 8 s and the circuit changer H A track battery L is connectedwith the parallel rails of the track section a near their forwardextremities and thus a current of low potential is furnished to thetrack circuit comprising the rails of this track sectiion a togetherwith the coils of the electro-magnet I The wire C will extend to theappurtenances of another track section in advance of the track section aAt the end of the system, connection will be made with the ground. Toillustrate this, I have shown the wire 0 extending to a ground plate GIt will be seen that in this example of my improvement there is a maincircuit comprising the magnets of all the signals and furnishing themwith electricity from a common source also that there are a number oftrack circuits which are independent of the main circuit and aresuppliedwith electricity of low potential so as to render it practicableto utilize the rails of the several track sect ions. These tracksections control the signals.

In Fig. 2 I have illustrated my invention as applied to a single trackrailroad having two sets of signaling devices for trains running inreverse directions. In this figure, A designates a track composed oftrack sections a',

a a a a B designates a dynamo connected by one of its poles orelectrodes to-tl1e ground by a wire 0 represented as extendiug to aground plate G The other pole or electrode of the dynamo has a wire Cconnected to it. From the wire 0 a wire G extends and a wire C extendsfrom the wire C to the end of the coil of the electro-mag net 8belonging to a cautionary'signal S This signal is fulcrumed between itsends upon a pin i and has combined with it a weight 11?. Preferably themagnet s will be of the solenoid type to afford suitable range LJI ofmovement. It is intended that the mag net shall normally hold the signalin the position indicative of safety and that whenever the magnet isde-energized the weight will adjust the signal to indicate danger. Allthe signals in my system may operate in this manner. From the other endof the coil of the electro-magnet s a wire 0 extends to a circuitchanger H represented as consisting of a pivoted lever; the wire Cextending to the pivot of the lever. The circuit changer lever H co-actswith a contact piece 11* from which a wire 0 extends to one end-of thecoil of an electro-magnet s belonging to a danger signal S The circuitchanger H has combined with it aspring J for moving it away from thecontact piece 2' and a magnet 1 for moving it to the said contact piece.The ends of the coil of the magnet I are connected with the adjacentends of the rails comprised in the track section o The signal S isfulcru med to a pin 25 and combined with'a weight a; From the wire 0 awire C extends. In this example of my improvement the wire C connectswith the wire C and also communicates with a wire C leading to one endof the coil of the electro'magnet s belonging to the cautionary signal SThe other end of the coil of the electro-magnet s is connected by a wire0 with a circuit changer H The signal S is fulcrumed between its ends toa pin t and combined with ,a weight "a A track battery L is connectedwith the adjacent ends of the rails comprised in the track section aFrom the other end of the coil of the magnet s belonging to the dangersignal S, a wire C extends to one end of the coil of a magnet sbelonging to a danger signal S arranged on the opposite side of thetrack A. This signal is fulcrnmed between its ends to a pin 25 andcombined with a weight a From the other end'of the coil of theelectro-magnet s belonging to the danger signal S a wire G extends toone end of the coil of an electromagnet s belonging to a signal 8'. Thesignal S is fulcrumed between its ends to a pin 25" and combined with aweight u". From the other end of the coil of the magnet s a wire Cextends to the Wire 0. The wire 0 extends to one of the terminal orcontact points of a resistance device E. From the other terminal of theresistance device E a wire 0 extends to the wire C. A track battery L isconnected to the adjacent ends of these rails comprised in the tracksection a The otherv ends of these. rails are connected by wires withthe ends of the coil of an electro-magnet I which is combined with acircuit changer H; A spring J is also combined with this circuitchanger. This circuit changer coacts with a contact piece 2'. From thecontact piece i a wire C extends to one end of the coil of the magnet 8belonging to adangersignalS ThesignalS is fulcrumed to a pin 15 andcombined with a weight a From the other end of the coil of the magnet sa wire 0 extends to one end of the coil of an electro-magnet s belongingto a danger signal S. This signal S is fulcrumed upon a pin t andcombined with a weight n From the wire 0 a wire 0 extends to one end ofthecoilof an electro magnet s belonging to a cautionary signal S Thissignal S is fulcrumed upon a pin i and combined with a weight a. A wireC extends from the other end of the coil of the magnet s to a circuitchanger H which coacts with a contact piece '5 and has combined'with ita spring J and a magnet 1 its coil connected with the rails comprised inthe track section a; the other ends of these This magnet I has the endsof I a weight n rails being connected with a track battery L The wire isrepresented as extending to a ground plate G. From the other end of thecoil of the electro-magnet s belonging to the signal S a Wire C extendsto and connects with one of the ends of the coil of an electromagnet sbelonging to a cautionary signal S This signal is fulcru med between itsends to a pin and combined with a weight a. From the other endof thecoil of the magnet s a wire 0 extends to the wire 0 From the contactpiece 71 a wire 0 extends to one end of the coil of an electro-magnet sbelonging to a danger signal S which is fulcrumed between its ends to apin t and combined with a weight 11, From the other end of the coil ofthe electro-magnet s a wire (3 extends to one end of the coil of anelectro-magnet s belonging to a danger signal S, which is fulcrumedbetween its ends to a pin i and combined with a weight a. From the otherend of the coil of the electro-magnet of the signal S a wire 0 extendsto one end of the coil of an electro-magnet s belonging to a cantionarysignal S which between its ends is fulcrumed to a pin if and combinedwith From the other end of the coil of the magnet s a Wire extends tothe wire C To facilitate an understanding of the different branchcircuits comprised in the main circuit I have delineated certain wiresdifferently. It will'be observed that the signals S S S S S and S are onone side of the track and that the signals S S S ,S ,S S, are on theother side of the track. These two series of signals are intended fortrains running in opposite directions. The signals S S S S 8" and S areintended for trains running'in the direction indicated by the arrow W;and the signals S S, S S S, S for trains running in the directionindicated by the arrow V The signal S is intended to be located adjacentto the track section a at some considerable distance from the meetingends of the track sections a, (L The signals S 5 are intended to belocated adjacent to the meeting ends of these track sections a, o Thesignals S S are intended to be located adjacent to the meeting ends ofthe track sections a a The signal S is intended to be located adjacentto the meeting ends of the track sections a or. The signal S is intendedto be arranged adjacent to the track section a at a considerabledistance from the track section a. The signals S and S are intended tobe located adjacent to the meeting ends of the track sections a a andthe signals S 8, are intended to be located adjacent to the meeting endsof the track section a a. The signal S is intended to be locatedadjacent to the meeting ends of the track sections a a It will be seenin this example of my improvement as well as in the one previouslydescribed all the signals are supplied with electricity from a commonsource and are in a single main circuit. It will be observed that inthis example of my improvement I have represented independent trackcircuits.

Normally the electro-magnets 1 I, I will be in the track circuit andconsequently energized. This is represented in connection with themagnets 1 I belonging to the track sections a a. T is an arbitraryrepresentation of a train located upon the track section a Asrepresented this short circuits out the magnet I and by de-energizingsuch magnet causes the circuit changer H to interrupt the communicationbetween the wires 0 and (1 This has the effect of de-energizing themagnet belonging to the danger signal S and that belonging to the dangersignal S which are located adjacent to the different ends of the tracksection a It will also have the effect of de-energizing the magnetsbelonging to the cautionary signals S and S located respectivelyadjacent to the distant ends of the track sections a, a Manifestly adanger signal and a cautionary signal are given in front of the train,and a danger signal and a cautionary signal are given at the rear of thetrain, the danger signal in each case being given at the end of thetrack section a and the cautionary signal at the distant end of the nextadjacent track section in each direction. Thus safety will be insured totrains running in opposite directions or in the same direction upon asingle track.

' What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. Arailway signal system comprising the combination of a dynamoelectric machine, an electric circuit leading therefrom, signals orgroups of signals serially arranged in said circuit, a series branch foreach signal or group of signals, a track circuit and a track instrumentcontrolling the signals, substantially as specified.

2. A railway signal system comprising the combination of a dynamoelectric machine, an electric circuit leading therefrom, signals orgroups of signals serially arranged in said circuit, a resistance foreach signal or group of signals, a track circuit and a track instrumentcontrolling the signals, substantially as specified.

3. A railway signal system comprising the combination of a dynamoelectric machine, an electric circuit leading therefrom, signals orgroups of signals serially arranged in said circuit, a series branch foreach signal or group of signals, a track circuit comprising the rails ofthe block, and a track circuit relay arranged to shift the flow ofcurrent in one of the series branches to the other series branch so asto operate the signals, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM G. ROOME.

Witnesses:

EDWIN H. BROWN, S. O. EDMoNDs.

